PHOENIX - Wisconsin wasn't lacking in motivation during preparation for its matchup against Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.

Maybe no one was more fired up than fifth-year quarterback Chase Wolf.

After all, Wolf stuck it out in Madison for five seasons as a reserve - the past three as the primary backup. That path has become a rarity in college football during the transfer portal era.

Wolf was informed early in the the week that he would get the nod against the Cowboys. It would be the first start in a career that’s been limited to snaps in blowouts or spot duty due to injury. To top it off, Wolf turned in a solid performance in the 24-17 victory in the season finale.

After the win, the veteran quarterback stood just outside the team locker room and fielded questions from reporters about what it felt as the starter and how rewarding the opportunity was.

Wolf would have been well within his right to soak in the moment of his performance. Yet each of his responses landed back on what the win meant for the team and program as a whole.

“This night just means a lot more than you guys know for me and the entire team," Wolf said. "We’ve been through a lot this whole season. You guys know. The guys in the locker room, they feel it. So this win kind of caps off an era, in my opinion. It means a lot to me, but it means a lot more to me because it means the world to everyone else.”

The period of transition in Madison began back on Oct. 2 when athletic director Chris McIntosh made the decision to move on from Paul Chryst. It will be finalized in the coming days with the current staff heading out. When the team returns from its break and gets winter workouts underway, the staff will look almost completely different.

For the first time since 2015, Jim Leonhard won’t be on the sidelines. Long-time staffers Bob Bostad, Chris Haering, Mickey Turner and Bobby April, along with the recent assistants brought on, won’t be in the mix, either. Kyle Costigan and Shaun Snee, who lead strength and conditioning, were on staff for eight years as well.

“It does (feel like the end of an era) actually because all the coaches that were here when I was a freshman," Wolf said. "All the coaches last year, they’re not going to be here next year. Coach Chryst, he’s a man I admire. He’s one of the reasons I committed here and I love him to death. Him not being here was very different.

“Seeing all the seniors at the end of the game and all the coaches, strength coaches, offensive, defensive coaches that have put him in so much work in this program, to say goodbye to them definitely feels like the end of an era.”

Leonhard had been called the “greatest Badger of all time” by Nick Herbig, and John Torchio attributed his success to his defensive coordinator. During bowl prep, Rodas Johnson said he was focused on growing under defensive line coach Ross Kolodziej because “he was the best coach I’ve ever had.”

"It was the last time we stepped on the field with the staff and the team Coach Chryst assembled. So it was kind of putting this one out there for him, putting this one out there for Coach Leonhard, putting this one out there for all the coaches that are leaving after this," Tanor Bortolini said. "We really appreciate those guys and everything they put in this year. It’s unfortunate it has to end the way that it does, but all good things come to an end and I’m excited for what’s going on."

“I think it was a good way to send everybody out, all of our coaches, one last time,” cornerback Alexander Smith said when asked if the moment was bittersweet.

Just as he said he would, Luke Fickell served as a “figurehead” of sorts against Oklahoma State and left the coaching to the former staff. With that, he observed warm ups and hovered around huddles during timeouts as coaches spoke with the group.

There seemed to be a perfect balance struck between allowing the staff to close out the season and Fickell integrating himself into the program and getting to know the players.

"It's a lot of uncertainty but I think we're excited for change," redshirt freshman Darryl Peterson said. "After everything we went through this year, we owe it to ourselves to give it a chance. We're going to do that and we're going to work and we're going to put on a show next year."

The addition of Phil Longo and an Air Raid approach as the next offensive coordinator signals a shift in Madison. But Fickell recognizes there is a foundation already in place that shouldn't be messed with.

"What makes Wisconsin great, what has made Wisconsin great isn’t going to change," Fickell said. "And we would be fools to think that we aren’t going to be what this place historically has been. Now how you do things and how it looks may be a little different, but we’re never going to let this thing lose its edge, let us lose our edge for what’s going to give us a chance to win."

"I don’t know if I would completely say new era," Smith added. "We’re still the Wisconsin Badgers, it’s still the same guys in the room. Some things may look different but it’s still us."

In the weeks leading up to the bowl game, players and Fickell deflected questions to some degree about the future and directed all of their attention to winning the bowl game. That was the right approach to allow the staff and players to have closure in a season that Peterson described as a "shit show."

Fickell can now finalize his staff, begin Wisconsin's offseason program and set the tone for his vision.

"I believe Coach Fickell has the absolute best intentions for this team, for this program, and wants to take us to the absolute highest level," Bortolini said. "I think we all believe in him as a unit and we’re really excited about what he brings to the table and what we’re going to be like moving forward."

When Leonhard walked off the stage after he hoisted the Guaranteed Rate Bowl trophy with linebacker Jordan Turner, it signaled the completion of a transition of power within the program. It also set off what will be one of the more fascinating off-seasons in Wisconsin's history.

"Might be a lot different tonight compared to kickoff next season, but I think change can sometimes be a good thing," Bortolini went on. "I think it will be good for the program and I’m excited to see how we do moving forward."

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